“Being the centres of concentration of the industrial proletariat, urban areas play an important part within the political strategy of the new Democratic Revolution”. Examine this statement in the light of rising Maoist activity in the urban areas and why is it essential to keep a close watch on Maoist activities in towns and cities?
The Urban Movement has a defined role in the political strategy and military strategy of the CPI (Maoist). In the Maoist scheme of things the objectives/tasks of the Urban Movement could be classified under three broad heads: (a) mobilise and organise the basic masses and build the party on that basis ; (b) build the United Front ; and (c) Military tasks .
The utility of having a presence in urban centres and operate there was best illustrated in recent times when police seized empty rocket shells and rocket launchers in Mahabubnagar district, Andhra Pradesh. On many occasions important top-level leaders of the CPI (Maoist) have been arrested from cities and towns. The detection of Maoist activities in towns such as Surat, in Gujarat clearly indicates that the Maoists are attempting to penetrate the urban-based working class movement in the country. Besides, there have been reports of the detection of Maoist activities in Haryana. In Maharashtra, too, the Maoists apparently devised a plan to operate in urban areas in a big way. Some Maoist documents, reportedly, contained encrypted writings and code names for various cities and towns in Maharashtra . The Urban Movement has attracted students towards the Maoist fold in various parts of the country. Moreover, if and when the Urban Movement catches on among the industrial workers, the state will have to deal with possible sabotage activities and industrial unrest. When the Urban Movement becomes strong, the state will then have to deal with urban terrorism. Urbanisation its elf has some faultlines and the Maoists could well exploit these to their advantage. Also, the stronger the movement becomes in the urban areas the more it is likely to contribute to the agrarian revolution - in terms of providing leaders and men and material to the people’s war. Besides, the Maoists enjoy some degree of sympathy and support among the urban intellectuals and middle class, including students and teachers in schools, colleges and universities. It is, thus, essential to keep a close watch on Maoist activities in towns and cities.